Signaling means.



J. J. NIELSEN.

SIGNALING MEANS.

APLIOATION FILED MAR. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented June 17, 1913.

J. J. HIIZLSLNL I SIGNALING MEANS. APPLIOATIOKIILED MAR. 16, 1912.

1,064,926, Patented June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i Es JULIAN NIELSEN, F. GHIUAGU, ILLJENC l'tEl.

SIGNALING MEANS.

piovide means whereby to produce signals thet will remain visilole, audible, or other- "Wise endure, after they have been initiated,

for a predetermined period of time, and then to automatically cease or become extinguished.

Another objectof my invention is to provide s signaling means, of this class, adapted to be set into operation by usual .ineans that employed in iire engine houses for opening doors, releasing horses, lighting gas, and performing such other functions that are instigated immediately upon notice oi a tire.

Uther and further objects oi my inven tion Will become readily apparent to persons illed in tie art from a consideration of the following description token in conjunction With the drawings, wherein,

Figure l is it side elevation of my switch employed for operating the signals; Fig. 2 is a section taken on lines 22 of Fig. i; liig. 3 is a side elevation of a building or lire engine house showing the visible and audible signs-l case secured in front thereof; and Fig. t is a diagrammatic arrangement of circuits and signal initiating means shown in connection with the door operating means.

in oi views the reference are used to indicate similar Secured to the building}; or to the fire ene house 5, is e cusine' 6, containing signal resp it is supported on the .rve devices. front wall of the house and immediately shove the front door by bracket '7.

inc casinn; contains on alarm hell 3 that is electricelly responsive and the Walls of the ing inclosingr the hell are pcritoratcd so that the sound nuule hy the hell may he heard some distance from the pfilnt fli its source. The upper part of the casing is covered by overlying plates of red glass, 9, inside of which are contained incandescent lamps, 10, so that when the lamps are energized the 5' ecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed I l/ arch 16. 1912.

bod il une 1t Serial No. (iil ifillfi,

lights Will shine through the plates 9 and indicate the fact that the engine Within the fire house is about to emerge therefrom, thereby notifying pedestrians and drivers of vehicles that are about to pass the engine house, that the engine is about to make its appearance. The alarm bell is an audible means for attracting the attention of the passers by of this fact and as on additional visual means an incandescent lamp 11 is located Within the red globe "9. which is located immediately or. top of the casing. These devices constitute the signaling means that are located in front of the lire house and they are immediately energized soon as information is received, Within the fire house, of the presence of lire. i3 and it are Wires that lead to these various devices and are connected to the signal initiating means 15, which device is located Within the fire house.

16 is the casing. Secured to supports therein by the menus of is 2. plots of insulstii marble or slate 18. Moon ed thereon is e le- Ver 19 which is pivoted at 20, and is provided With a pro ecting 21 that extends practically at right angles from the lever 19 end is provided, its ends, with a. stud. 22 which is secured to the arm 21 by the nut 23.. The lever 19 is pivots l on the casting Fi l and spring 25 is secured to the casting to yieldingly the lever 19 in its upward position and to return the lever 19 to uppermost position it has been depressed in manner and the purpose to be hereafter described. sv ch arm 26 is pivoted, as at 2'3, and is provioe with an elongatedslct 28, to v l cl l YCtS stud 9 oi? the min 21 non movement oi the stud 10111 one side the other of the slot. A terminal 29, it who 13 is connected to the switch lever 26 at the point Where it is pivoted, so as to complete electrical connection through the svv'tch lever A projection 50, on the switch lever 26, is adapted to incite contact with the yielding switch member 31 so to close the circuit between the Wires l3 The svvith member 3i. is held in f? log contact with the projection 30, on support by means of the sprin; 33 so thst'ivhen the member is brought into contact with the member 31 the letter he lifted slightly, in order to insure more perfect contact, by producing yielding frictional movement between the two members.

.A dash pot 33 is pivoted as at 35 to the providing an air dash pot to retard the return movement of the lever 19. In the bottom wall of the hollow piston 86 an air valve 37 is adapted to open when .the lever 19 is depressed and to be automatically closed when the movement of the lever 19 is in the opposite direction. Connected to the piston 36, is a rod 38 which is pivotally connected to the lever 19, as at 89, so that when the lever 19 is moved in'either direction the piston 36 is moved therewith. I

40 is the bottom floor of the engine house through which projects a pedal or push 41.

A shaft 42 extends across the room under the floor and is provided with a series of arms 43 secured thereto to which are connected a corresponding plurality of rods 44, that are adapted to perform various func-- tions, such as releasing the doors or opening the stalls in which the horses are contained, opening the front doors to permit the engine to leave the building and for other purposes such as lighting the gas and the performance of other functions that are necessary to be automatically and quickly effected after an alarm of fire has been received and before the engine leaves the building. Secured to a suspender, 45, is an arm, 46, and this arm rests under the arm 47, that is depressed by means of the push 41. When the pedal or push 4:1 is depressed the arm 46 is likewise depressed and the rod 48 that connects the arm 46, and the lever 19, is the means by which the lever 19 is depressed. When the lever 19 is in its most downward position the arm 21 moves the switch arm 26 so that the switch member 30 makes cont-act with the switch member 81 and thereby closes the electric circuit and energizes the signals. The electric mains 50 and 51 are connected to a fuse block 52 and to the wires 13 and 14 so that when the switch 15 is closed the bell is caused to ring and the lamps are lighted and by this means signals are exhibited on the exterior of the building to advise persons that an alarm of fire has been received at the engine house and that the engine is about to leave the building and the public are thereby warned so as to avoid collision with the engine. Al'tcr the pedal or push 41 has been den-cssed for performing the functions herelol'ore described, the spring 53 immediately returns the push or pedal 41 to its normal position, after the pressure has been removed. therefrom, and therefore the lever lo will be returned to its normal position quite inde 'icmlcnlly of the arm 4-7.

It is quite desirable that the signals that have been produced .in a manner heretofore described, shall endure for a certain predetermined length of time after they have been once initiated or until the engine has left the building and gotten fairly under way and then it is desirable that the signals shall be automatically extinguished and to this end I-provide a switch-operating retarding device, consisting of the dash pot 33, that permits the lever 19 to rise slowly until the stud 22 moving through the slot 28 makes contact with the back wall of the slot and the spring 25, having sufficient energy stored in it by the downward movement of the lever 19, causes the stud 22 to move the switch lever 26 forciblyuntil the member 30 no longer makes contact with the switch member 31, and thereby the circuit is opened. The lever 19 is returned against the retarding effect of the dash pot. The speed with which the lever 19'is returned determines the length of time that the signal shall be energized and this effect may be varied by changing the fit of the piston within the cylinder or by any other well known and effective means.

The switch 55 may be employed for opening the circuit so that the switch initiating means will not have the effect of energizing the signals, if desired.

My apparatus may be used during the daytime as Well as at night, as the gong 8 will sound the alarm so that persons may be advised during the daytime, the energized lamps adding considerable to the effective ness of the device during the night.

lVhile I have herein described a specific embodiment of my invention for the purpose of clear disclosure it is evident that some variation may be made therefrom within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

'l. The combination of a movable member, 21 single arm connected with said movable member, mcans to maintain said movable member and arm in one position yieldable to permit movement thereof to another position, and signaling means including a switch and connections between said switch and said arm including a pivoted arm (46) normally spring-pressed into engagement with the first said arm and means to retard the return of said second arm (46) after spring returned of said first mentioned arm subsequent. to the movement of said movable member.

2. Tn a device of the character described, a movable member, a switch device comprising astationary contact, a movable con tact, a pivoted lever having an arm extension associated with said movable contact, and connections between the end of said lever and said movable member of the door opening mechanism comprising a pivoted arm spring-pressed against said movable member, a dash pot the iston whereof is connected to the said switch lever, and a spring normally retaining said lever in position with the contacts separated, the piston of the dash-pot unretracted and said pivoted arm in abutment against said movable member of the door-opening mechanism.

3. In a device of the character described, a bell crank lever havin a long and a short arm, operating means t ereforconnected to the end of the long arm thereof, retard means connected thereto between the end of said long arm and the pivot point of said bell crank lever, a stationary contact mounted above the short arm of said. bell crank lever and a movable contact for coaction therewith comprising a switch arm pivoted at a point between said stationary contact and the pivotal point of said bell crank lever, the short arm of said short bell crank lever having at its end a pin engaging said block of the switch lever, and a spring normally holding said bell crank lever in position readyfor operation.

In testimony whereoi I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIAN J. NIELSEN.

' In. the presence of Fomin Barn, MARY F. ALLEN. 

